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Hail the Great Maker!

I’d like to say this week has been consumed with panic over my re-entering the workforce next week, or looking forward to the friends weddings I have on this weekend and next , but mostly it’s been re-watching this clip of gardening with Patrick Stewart. By the way, if anyone can identify where that came from, please?

First off, there was a lot of panic about the news that Studio Ghibli closing, but it turns out it’s just taking ‘a brief pause.’ So, no need to panic folks, just take a little time to get a more accurate translation or re-read an article before you panic and start posting about it. Actually, that’s a sensible rule for everyday life.

Sony are said to be planning a female-led Spider-Man spin off and Bridesmaids director Pail Feig has been linked with an all-female Ghostbusters reboot. Now, I’m not much of a fan of remakes, but if they’re going to happen I’d rather they be different from the original. Think of it this way – you might not want to see a Ghostbusters reboot starring Tina Fey, Amy Pohler, Melissa McCarthy and Yvette Nicole Brown, but I’m pretty damn sure you’d prefer it to one starring Adam Sandler, Rob Schneider, David Spade and Eddie Murphy (in a fat suit). And if you do want that film, well, we might not have much to talk about in the future…

Best drink it quick before Slimer get’s to it…

DC blinked this week, with the announcement that the release date of Batman vs Superman has been shifted to avoid competition with Captain America 3. They’ve also announced 9 more DC movie release dates, with two of those called ‘Untitled WB Event Film’ which could mean the Harry Potter spin off films. It’s expected the films will include Sandman, Justice League and Wonder Woman movies, but at this early stage your guess is as good as ours. Despite being horribly behind compared to Marvel, there’s still the chance they could get a female led movie up first. Yes, I’m aware of Catwoman and Elektra, but we ignore those for two reasons. 1: they aren’t part of the current cinematic universes and 2: they were fucking terrible.

In a lovely piece of news, Bill Mantlo, creator of Rocket Raccoon, got a private screening of Guardians of the Galaxy. Mantlo (who was severely injured in a traffic accident) Meanwhile, director Peyton Reed has confirmed another female character in Ant-Man, Young Justice will return as part of a crossover with Teen Titans Go! Both Fantastic Four and Avengers: Age of Ultron have wrapped primary shooting, writer Nicole Perlman isn’t working on a Black Widow movie, though she did write a treatment in 2011, but an extended cut of X-Men: Days of Future Past is coming next year. The planned Spider-Man spin off will now be titled Venom Carnage (Which is a stupid title if you ask me, not that anyone has) and the blooper reel and a pair of deleted scenes from Captain America: The Winter Soldier have been released.

The ABC has announced they’ll simulcast the first episode of Doctor Who and producer Steven Moffat has promised more online content for the show. Meanwhile, BRIAN BLESSED!! revealed that he turned down the role of the Doctor when offered it in the late 60’s. It’s difficult to know how accurate this is, with versions of the story staying he was offered the role after either William Hartnell or Patrick Troughton left the role. Either way, the mere thought of Blessed wearing a vevet smoking jacket and doing Venusian Akido is enough to make the world just that little bit better. And LOUDER!

In news that I probably should be happier about, J Michael Straczynski has announced he’s working on a script for a Babylon 5 film, one that he’s hoping to have finished by the end of the year. Given the deal with Warners over Babylon 5, they own the film rights, with several attempts to get a film made over the years, the last being in 2004. As much as I love that series (And I do – I made my girlfriend, who’s now my wife, watch it all while we were dating and there was a reading from it at my wedding), I’m extremely wary of any more. It was a combination of the writing and the cast (Several of whom are no longer with us) that made that show what it was, and I’m not sure that can be recaptured. Yes, a reboot won’t spoil the original, but I want this to be good so much I don’t think it possibly could be. Still, with JMS at the helm, there’s hope. And, I think I’ve found a subject for another series of articles…

It was the dawn of the Third Age of mankind…

The Ninja Turtles reboot has been in the news, with an Australian only poster for the film showing our heroes jumping from a burning building. That may not mean much but with the release date of the film being September 11, well, that’s just a little awkward… Megan Fox had some rather strong words for critics of the film and no less a musical authority that Vanilla Ice has put his two cents in, claiming the new movies theme song ‘lacks the magic’ that represents a ‘true ninja.’ If you’ll excuse me, I’m just going outside to laugh – I may be some time…

We have the first look at Nicholas Cage in Left Behind, a new teaser for Constantine and the first 7 minutes of Star Wars: Rebels, which looks promising. There’s also more footage from Comic Con, with the Geek and Sundry highlight reel along with footage from the Assassin’s Creed and Walking Dead themed obstacle courses captured by users wearing Google Glass, which finally means there’s a practical use for that hipster monstrosity of a facial accessory.

It was thought to be a typo, but the title of the next Terminator film is… wait for it… Terminator: Genisys. Arnold will be kept busy, with The Legend of Conan hoping to start shooting next year. I still hold out hope that we’ll see a version of Conan on screen that matches the version in Robert E Howard’s stories. It’s a fool’s hope, but one I hold on to.

Harsh, but true.

Disney are said to be building a Star Wars themed park while the team responsible for keeping track of the Expanded Universe have redefined the timeline, basing things now on Phantom Menace, rather than setting year Zero at the destruction of the Death Star in A New Hope. I’m not sure why they felt the need to mess with a timeline that’s been working nicely since the formation of the EU, I guess to remind everyone the prequels exist? Maybe it’s a Vader thing. Still, I was interested to see the timeline of The Clone Wars series laid out – trying to keep track of where the episodes were supposed to have occurred was driving me spare.

New cast members have been announced for Agents of SHIELD, Arrow and Westworld, while the pay dispute that threatened to delay The Big Bang Theory has averted, with Jim Parsons, Johnny Galecki and Kaley Cuoco reportedly now to earn about 1 million US per episode of the show, with the deal set to go far beyond per episode fees. Melissa Rauch and Mayim Bialik have already signed deals, with Simon Helberg and Kunal Nayyar signing close to deadline. 22 minutes for a million dollars – that’s a hell of a thing…

We leave you this week with Ray Park showing a youngster dressed as Robin how to use a staff. It’s kind of sweet seeing apprentices sharking knowledge. Sure, it’s the apprentice to the Dark Lord of the Sith sharing said knowledge with the World’s Greatest Detective’s young ward, but it’s still sweet.

G’Kar: It’s an Earth food. They are called Swedish meatballs. It’s a strange thing, but every sentient race has its own version of these Swedish meatballs! I suspect it’s one of those great universal mysteries which will either never be explained, or which would drive you mad if you ever learned the truth…